“Her title, ‘Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls,’ is a perversion of the English language.”
Labour has sparked outrage after rejecting demands for a Government-led inquiry into Oldham’s horrifying grooming gangs scandal – despite desperate pleas from survivors and their families.
Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips has snubbed repeated calls from Oldham Council to investigate the abuse that rocked the borough, insisting it’s up to the local authority to act.
The Minister’s decision has been branded “sickening” by survivors and slammed by critics who accuse Labour of turning a blind eye to decades of systemic failures.
Former Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss tore into Phillips, saying:
“This is the same Jess Phillips who excused masked Islamist thugs. Her title, ‘Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls,’ is a perversion of the English language.
“It’s clear whose side she’s on – and it’s not the victims.”
Former Conservative Home Secretary Suella Braverman also blasted Phillips, accusing her of abandoning survivors. She said:
“Jess Phillips is all talk and no action. She sits on her hands refusing an inquiry into Oldham grooming gangs.
“As Home Secretary, I set up a Taskforce leading to hundreds of arrests. Her inaction speaks volumes about her commitment to women and girls. It’s disgraceful.”
In a letter to Oldham Council, Phillips admitted she understood the “strength of feeling” but refused to back a Government inquiry, saying:
“I believe it is for Oldham Council alone to decide to commission an inquiry into child sexual exploitation locally, rather than for the Government to intervene.”
She added: “I welcome the Council’s resolution to do so and to continue its important work with victims and survivors.”
Survivors Demand Justice
The Labour-run council dramatically U-turned on the issue after losing its majority in May’s local elections. It pledged to launch an independent inquiry if the Government refused to act but survivors say a council-led probe isn’t enough.
One survivor, known as Sam, told GB News:
“A Government inquiry is the only way to hold Oldham Council and Greater Manchester Police accountable for their huge failures.
“A Telford-style inquiry will give answers, but it won’t give justice to those who deserve it.”
In 2022, a damning report found police and local authorities in Oldham failed to protect children from appalling abuse. But survivors have slammed it for not going far enough and are demanding a full-scale investigation to expose the truth.
Shocking Failures
Harrowing accounts of abuse in similar scandals in Rotherham and Telford have revealed the extent of the horrors endured by young victims.
Reports have detailed how children were raped by multiple attackers, threatened with guns, and told they’d be “next” if they spoke out.
In some cases, parents who tracked down their daughters and tried to rescue them were arrested by police, while the abusers walked free.
Liz Truss didn’t hold back, saying:
“These appalling rape gang cases of girls as young as 11 shame our country.
“Not only do the perpetrators need to be punished, so do the authorities who turned a blind eye in the name of not inflaming ‘racial tensions.’”
Fury at Labour
The decision has sparked widespread condemnation. Conservative Mayor Ben Houchen fumed:
“This is beyond the pale. Labour MPs spent years calling for investigations into everything, but now they’ve BLOCKED an inquiry into the Oldham grooming scandal.
“Sickening. INQUIRY NOW!”
An Oldham Council spokesman vowed to continue supporting survivors, saying:
“Survivors sit at the heart of our work to end child sexual exploitation.
“We recognise terrible mistakes were made in the past. By ensuring survivors have a voice, we can help make sure no child is failed again.”
Pressure Mounts
The council is now exploring options for a local inquiry, reaching out to experts from Telford to ensure the process is robust. But survivors and their advocates say nothing short of a Government inquiry will deliver justice.
With public anger growing, critics warn Labour won’t escape the heat over this decision anytime soon. Survivors are demanding answers – and they won’t stop until they get them.
Pretty embarrassing this.